North Jackson Chiefs QB Walters TFP player of week

photo North Jackson quarterback Logan Walters

Player of the Week honorable mention(Coaches are invited to nominate players by emailing wgossett@timesfreepress.com by 2 p.m. each Saturday.)Kelvin Leon, Ooltewah: The quarterback completed 29 of 36 passes with no interceptions for 357 yards and three TDs as the Owls improved to 8-0 with a victory over Walker Valley.Jake Sartain, Whitwell: He ran for 176 yards on 23 carries and scored three TDs in the Tigers' 46-12 road win over Clay County.Alex Trotter, McCallie: Although the Blue Tornado lost its unbeaten status in a loss to Brentwood Academy, he ran for 209 yards on 22 carries and scored twice.

North Jackson had one of the long-strong program's most outstanding offensive showings Friday night, and junior quarterback Logan Walters was right in the midst of it - at least for the first half.

"Logan had the best game I've ever gotten from a quarterback, and really he didn't play but the first half and a series in the second," Chiefs coach Mark Rose said.

Walters was selected Times Free Press Player of the Week after completing nine of 11 passes for 383 yards and five touchdowns in North Jackson's 56-14 win over Westminster Christian Academy.

The win was the fifth straight for the Chiefs, who have rebounded nicely from back-to-back losses to open the season. North Jackson, according to Rose, now leads the state in scoring offense in the first year of his return to Stevenson.

Walters completed seven of nine passes for 326 yards and four TDs in the first half alone, and then in his one series of the second half completed two more passes and got another touchdown.

"We had a stretch in the second quarter with four passes and one run where we scored on five consecutive plays," said Rose, who is best known for producing crunching running games. "But you know me. If we're throwing for 200 yards we've got to have a pretty good offense."

The Chiefs are running for 212 yards per game, but Walters and a solid receiving corps have obviously bolstered the passing game.

"In addition to his development as a really good running back, Octavius Matthews is a good receiver out of the backfield," Rose said. "We have two tight ends that are excellent receivers. C.J. Cobb, whom we moved from wingback, is our leading receiver, and Bray Eldridge has performed really well as a split end. Logan can go to several spots and have a good receiver."

Yet Walters has excelled on finding those receivers while avoiding the turnovers. He has 17 TD passes with just two interceptions, and those two were in the first game. He also is the Chiefs' second-leading rusher behind Matthews.

"He obviously doesn't make mistakes," Rose said. "Logan is very mobile -- an excellent runner -- but he also has great touch on the ball long or short. He has improved every day."

The improvement may have started this summer when Rose took North Jackson to Huntsville for a 7-on-7 day against Class 6A competition.

"His first two or three games he had a couple of picks," the coach said of Walters. "He was throwing late and throwing behind his receivers. I got on him pretty good, but he's a tough kid. He took the challenge and by the end of the day he was doing great."

Although he is just a junior, the 6-foot-2, 190-pound Walters is beginning to attract recruiting attention.

"They'll be here. I've had some calls about him and [recruiters] will all be through here in the spring," Rose said. "He has good size, great pocket presence and he's mobile. Like all the good ones he looks downfield but he can scramble out of trouble."

Contact Ward Gossett at wgossett@timesfreepress.com or 423-886-4765. Follow him at Twitter.com/wardgossett.

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